Several years back we visited a number of veterinary hospitals and boarding kennels and all we kept hearing was, “The urine smell is the worst!” and “What we need is a kennel odor eliminator!”
We discovered that practices were using regular commercial trench drains with recessed grates designed for showers and rain disbursement areas – not for kennels. The problem was, most conventional trench drains are made of plastic-type materials, with separate sections joined together. These sections inevitably shift and leak over time, so they’re not sanitary when it comes to the daily flow of dog kennel fluids. In fact, some practices tried using plastic commercial covers, which are even more likely to trap hair and feces between the grate and the trench wall, preventing them from washing down, resulting in the unpleasant odor.
In addition, we could see that the installers would take an 8-inch wide trough and set it 4-5 inches off the wall, leaving a big gap where urine would collect, dry and smell. No wonder the veterinary teams were frustrated!
So that’s when our TriStar Vet engineers went to work. We thought, “How can we help customers get rid of kennel urine in an efficient and clean manner, day after day in a busy practice?”
We started with the stability issue. If we could create our commercial trench drains as one solid piece, using heavy-duty 14 gauge stainless steel, there’d be no shifting or joint gaps.
We ended up with a fully welded, one piece design with a built-in integral 1/8th per foot slope. Easy to install, your plumber can simply set in place and attach to the wall.
Our kennel-friendly “odor eliminator” design provides a number of advantages:
- Easy installation.
- No more joints to worry about.
- No warping thanks to the heavy 14-gauge steel.
- The slope ensures that any urine flows backwards toward the floor drain, making it easy to hose out the kennels each day.
- Where it fits against the wall, we provide a backsplash along the back, so whenever you hose down the back, all the liquid (including urine) has no place to go except down the drain.
- We also offer a trench drain for rooms with a center drain set-up (for back to back kennel runs)
- We offer two types of grates, and each one has a ½ inch opening on all four sides, allowing any hair and solids to go directly into the trench drain.
- Most commercial trench drains are about 6-8 inches wide. This one is just 4 inches wide so it’s more efficient; it uses less water.
- Ultimately, it makes kennel cleaning a breeze.
Finally, we wanted to make sure our design didn’t cost much more than traditional commercial options — even though it’s far more effective.
For all these reasons, we’re seeing more and more vet clinics, boarding facilities and animal control directors ask for our trench drains. They’re still the only kennel-specific commercial trench drains available.
Do you have any questions about eliminating dog kennel odors? Leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to answer it. Or better yet, contact us directly at sales@tristarvet.com or 877.459.7827. Thank you.
TriStar Vet’s one-piece commercial trench drains make kennel cleaning easy.
We are experts in kennel design and manufacturing, committed to quality control and testing. We actively seek out and test the best materials that will promote durability and longevity with the added benefit of being the best looking dog kennels on the market. After more than 25 years of manufacturing, we understand that the construction of our dog kennels is just as important as the type of materials we use. Whether you are a luxury boarding facility, animal shelter, rescue, control or a busy veterinarian we look forward to the opportunity to share our knowledge as a kennel manufacturer with you.